7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This weekend we are recognizing and commissioning 70 parishioners who have completed the ChristLife sequence of Discovering Christ, Following Christ and Sharing Christ.  These individuals have opened themselves to hear God. They and have dedicated themselves to learning more about their faith, themselves and the mission God has for their lives.  We applaud and thank these disciples for dedicating their time and effort in pursuit of deepening their faith and relationship with Christ. Along with our staff and Fr. Jim, I’ve completed the courses as well and we all encourage you to give it a try this Lent.  We are starting a new series, starting with Discovering Christ next Monday.  Come by the Gathering Space today and ask any questions you might have.
 
One of the benefits of ChristLife, and our small group Bible studies is the opportunity to talk and share with others about some of Jesus’ most challenging teachings. Teachings like this Sunday’s Gospel where we hear Jesus’ radical command to “Love your enemies”.  Even though this attitude seems to go against our human nature, Jesus wants us understand that we cannot put limits or conditions on God’s commandment to love. We must strive to love all, not just those who are easy to love! This is a difficult message to hear, understand, and certainly to follow!
 
There’s a billboard I once saw along a congested highway that read: You aren’t stuck in traffic. You are the traffic! It made me think of how often it is hard to see and recognize that we need to take responsibility! We have a habit of ignoring that we might be part of the problem. And yet the very nature of relationship is to continually forgive, reconnect, to reach out in mercy and extend love.
 
 
The Gospel reinforces this message when we hear Jesus saying:
 
To you who hear I say,  love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you
 
It is always much easier and more natural to love those who love us back, but Jesus asks: what merit is there in that?  We are called to emulate God’s love and forgiveness for us.  How many times have we, the people of God, turned away, sinned and ignored God’s voice?   We have all done this in our lives.   But we have a God who loves, who loves without regard to our sin, our deafness to his word, or his call to relationship in our lives.
Regardless of our past we are constantly being called into relationship, we are called by a God who is love.  Putting aside hate and insult isn’t easy.  When we feel hurt or threatened our natural response is to fight back, to return hurt for hurt.  However, Jesus calls us to another way, the way of love, way of forgiveness, God's way.

Jesus radical vision moves beyond loving only those who love us in return. In the gospel, Jesus challenges those who follow Him to love their enemies, to do good and expect nothing in return.  Jesus tells his disciples and those gathered, that God shows us the example of how we should treat all people. We are called to extend love and to make no distinctions about who we love.  God calls us to be merciful, to extend forgiveness, especially toward those we may feel are undeserving or unlovable. This teaching was radical for its time and as followers of Jesus today it continues to call us to this radical way of living.
 
The readings today also serve to help us, to examine what we expect of God.  God wants us to emulate in our lives what we expect from our God.  As parents or friends what do we do when those we love turn away from us, hurt us or make poor choices.  Don’t we strive to bring them back into relationship, to health, to well-being!   This is what Jesus is calling us to do for all people we encounter.  Perhaps the most telling example of all, is how would we want to be treated when we error, strike out, or make mistakes?  Don’t we want to find forgiveness, reconciliation, to be met with love rather than hate in response to our mistakes, our sins?
   
Are we taking time in our lives to listen, and truly hear the voice of our loving God?  Let us seek to emulate God’s way by following Jesus’ radical command to love our enemies.  Who in our lives might be hurting, who do we need to extend, forgiveness, love and healing to?
 
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and gifts will be given to you;
…. For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”